Display method and display apparatus in which a part of a screen area is in a through-state

• US 9,182,598 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Tsuruta, Masaaki, Ito, Taiji, Asukai, Masamichi, Ebisawa, Kan
• Primary Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, NELSON D
• Application Number:
  US14/172,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 3483331-33313, 348/231.99, 3482311-2319, 348/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Display control that extends a user'"'"'s visual ability is accomplished. By wearing an eyeglass-type or headgear-type mounting unit, he or she is allowed to see display means disposed in front of his or her eyes. By causing a part of a screen area of the display means to be in a through-state and a display with a display image signal to be executed, the user can see an image of a scene different from a scene that he or she ordinarily sees with a display of the display image signal while he or she can see the ordinary visual scene with the through-state area.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

a display device, disposed in front of eyes of a user, and configured to display an image and cause a screen area to be in a through-state which is transparent or semi-transparent;

an image capturing device disposed such that the image capturing device is configured to perform capturing of a captured image in a direction which the user sees through the display device or in a direction different from the direction which the user sees through the display device; and

processing circuitry configured to

perform a signal process for the captured image and generate a first displaying image, and receive an image signal from an external device and generate a second displaying image, and

control a part of the screen area of the display device to be in the through-state and to be presented to one eye of the user, without being presented to the other eye of the user, and execute displaying of one of the first displaying image and the second displaying image to be presented to the other eye of the user.

2. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to switch displaying from the one of the first displaying image and the second displaying image to the other of the first displaying image and the second displaying image.

3. The display apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one of the first displaying image and the second displaying image is presented to the other eye of the user, without being presented to the one eye of the user to which the screen area is presented in the through-state.

4. A method, comprising:

displaying, by a display device disposed in front of eyes of a user, an image and causing a screen area to be in a through-state which is transparent or semi-transparent;

capturing, by an image capturing device, a captured image in a direction which the user sees through the display device or in a direction different from the direction which the user sees through the display device;

performing a signal process for the captured image and generating a first displaying image, and receiving an image signal from an external device and generating a second displaying image; and

controlling a part of the screen area of the display device to be in the through-state and to be presented to one eye of the user, without being presented to the other eye of the user, and displaying one of the first displaying image and the second displaying image to be presented to the other eye of the user.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

switching displaying from the one of the first displaying image and the second displaying image to the other of the first displaying image and the second displaying image.

6. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein

the one of the first displaying image and the second displaying image is presented to the other eye of the user, without being presented to the one eye of the user to which the screen area is presented in the through-state.